Beccabee2

I love this so much! I needed to hear it. I also want to pass it along to a few other friends who struggle making their own decisions and want the Lord to do that for them. Thanks for this!

How nice to know I'm not the only person who struggles with knowing if my feelings of anxiety are from the Spirit or just my anxiety. Like the previous post, I know this is old, but if anyone else is reading this who can relate, I'll just share my small pieces of information that I've learned while dealing with this. There's a list of two different kinds of feelings: ones from God, and ones from Satan. God stills, reassures, leads, enlightens, forgives, calms, encourages, and comforts you. On the other hand, Satan rushes, frightens, pushes, confuses, condemns, stresses, discourages, and worries you. Almost 100% of the time, my feelings of anxiety are related to the feelings that are listed under Satan. That has helped me remember if these feelings are from the Spirit, or from Satan.

I was doing my best to communicate these points but I wish I could have spoken them as eloquently as you did! What a concise explanation. Thanks!

I'm not really sure what you mean by this. I posted this because I was curious as to the thoughts of others on how they would respond to my non-LDS friend. In context of the subject matter being discussed, the article was necessary to post.

Alright so....I came across this article from a non-LDS friend who posted it on Facebook. I've already begun to explain to my non-LDS friend, who can't fathom why someone would be "kicked out of their Church for loving someone", about God's commandments and the principle of obedience. But I would like to hear what anyone else has to say in regards to this young man's letter to his bishop about this issue. For previous background: This individual received a letter from his bishop in which it was stated that disciplinary action was being considered due to his conduct that is unbecoming of a member.

Talk with a professional psychologist about what you're observing. That way you can get a somewhat more credible opinion about what's going on and the steps you should take to ensure both of their safety and health.

There are many LDS blog posts about the famous saying, "The Lord will not give you more than you can handle" and comparing it to the scriptural references that this saying was taken from. Trying to redirect our understanding of what exactly what the scripture in 1 Corinthians 10:13 was really saying. So in line with this....where does this saying, "Be in the world but not of the world" come from? Are there any scriptural references to this statement that is pretty common in the LDS culture? Are there any conference talks that relate to this similar saying? I'm always curious as to where some of these sayings come from and whether or not we've misconstrued them or that they're just simplifying doctrine into layman's terms. Just my curious thoughts late at night...

Yeah me either! I got a good laugh out of it.

I lived by the standard rule that you always say yes to a first date. And then as I got older and realized if I was saying yes to a guy I honestly was not interested in, I was wasting my time and his (and money as stated before). I think I've only said no to few guys (few meaning less than 3) and they were not "excuses". They were flat out, honest and sincere answers of "I really appreciate you taking a chance and asking me out on a date. Thank you for asking! I will be honest and say that I'm not interested in a date but I would still like to be friends and hang out at church and activities" or along the lines of a reply in this manner. Out of the few that I've said no to, only one has been kind about my "no" response. One outwardly called me an unkind name--feel free to use your imagination (and yes, he was an LDS member). The other ranted on to me about my duty as a woman to say yes to every worthy LDS man who asks me out on a date. So there's a downside to either way that you reject a date. But there's also downsides to saying yes, knowing that you are not interested. Dating can be difficult!! But as others have said, it requires a lot of patience and continually picking yourself back up after rejection (which we all deal with). As a side note, I have done my fair share of asking guys out on dates (because the ones I'm surrounded by lack the ability to ask girls out on dates) and I too have been rejected by the "lame" excuses and the honest ones. Either way they are not easy to hear! But I say it just makes you better at the dating game. You gain experience! And now know that you can check that person off the list of potential spouses

I appreciate your response. No, I'll clarify because I didn't really go into depth about my explanation. My mistakes are my own. And I take full and complete responsibility (sometimes so much so that I am way too hard on myself) for the things that I do. I expect myself to be perfect, even when I know that's not possible, and when I make a mistake I know that it was 100% me who did it. And it was me who could have prevented it. With my growing and progressing within my weakness, I've found many ways to find strength in it (like is said in Ether 12:27). And when I think about the promises I have the opportunity to make in the Temple to stay even more firm in my conviction to be pure and chaste in my life, the garments feel like a physical symbol of that promise that I will wear every day that will be a constant reminder of my ability to be better each and every day. And you know maybe I am looking at the temple garments in the wrong way. But from the many experiences I've heard from other individuals feeling like their temple garments were a great reminder, in the midst of a choice for temptation, of what path they should choose. And while I feel like I have grown so much in being able to choose that path on my own (and fall short here and there in every aspect of life because I'm not perfect) I have felt a great calm and reassurance of the ability to have that physical garment to wear as a reminder of the promises that I will have made and a reminder of the person I want/can be. Hopefully if that makes sense. Obviously I would never want to go receive my endowments for the wrong reasons. And I appreciate all the responses I've received from everyone, but please understand that you've read only a few hundred words of my life. I didn't give you the full details of my testimony or understanding of this gospel or the details of my conversion and change of heart to turn to The Lord completely in all things. I haven't shared my full feelings of this experience so far about preparing for this next step in my life or the personal revelation I have received for it. So I know it's hard to get a full glimpse of "why" I want to go to the Temple, because you haven't seen who I am. Just read a few hundred words of the few things I've willingly shared. I have a very firm understanding of this gospel, including the aspects of repentance, the atonement, and forgiveness. So please know that this "worry" I am having about making a mistake after I receive my endowments is not from a place of wanting someone else or something else to take responsibility for my actions. It is and will always be MY choice to sin. This was more so my way of wanting to know if this idea in my head from hearing other experiences of temple garments being a protecting reminder of those promises, and a way to strengthen your Spirit, was along the right path. Not me seeing them as a way to take responsibility off of my shoulders for my own weakness. I hope that made sense. If not, then don't worry about it. These are my own worries that come from a lot of my own struggles with anxiety problems that I'm sure are manifesting themselves into this decision.

Thanks! I've done a lot of praying but I really haven't put any efforts towards truly fasting and showing the Lord my real desire to know the answer to this. I will definitely start relying on that :)

I really appreciate your input and what you have to say. I'll take some of that advice and apply it to my life, but I'm going to move forward with the impressions I've felt about preparing to enter the Temple. I've felt like there were firm spiritual impressions in the past that have pushed me towards preparing to receive my endowments. When that will happen, I do not know yet, but I do know that I'm supposed to be preparing for them. So I'lll take your advice into my preparation for that next step.

Maybe my way of writing is coming off wrong. I'm not looking to go to the Temple to be healed. Or changed. The changing experience I want to have is not that kind of change that comes from Christ. The changing experience I want to have is the greater understanding and knowledge of this gospel and it's pertinence to my eternal life. Although from most of the preparation I've done and the individuals I've talked to, none of the information in the temple will be "new" information per say, but more solidifying in what I've learned and how I'm growing spiritually to the daughter of God I want to be.

I think that's the whole reason I want to go receive my endowments. That my experience going through the temple is the changing experience I feel like I'm ready to make and want to have. I want that added measure of the Spirit in my life. I want to progress spiritually. In a year I will be graduating college and moving to graduate school, where I'll be in a city alone with no family anywhere close by. The step of receiving my endowments feels like the most comforting decision to make knowing that I'll be moving somewhere away from those I love and away from what I'm "used" to. It's hard for me to explain because I don't know how to put it in words. On the topic of your questions....I live about an hour away from the temple. I go when I have the opportunity to (usually with a group of single adults for an activity--since doing baptisms isn't as easy to do as going to do an endowment session), and I feel like my attendance at the temple is in accordance with my desire to be there. I don't ever, and will not ever, put a number on how many days I feel like I should be attending the temple. I believe it is a personal decision, between you and the Lord, of how often you go. The times I go to the temple are filled with immense spiritual comfort and a greater understanding of my purpose in life. As much as I love doing baptisms (and have ever since I was young enough to go) I want more out of my temple experience. I want deeply to understand more about the ordinances that happen there. To know more about my purpose and my relationship with God. And in answer to your question about my decision to not serve a mission, that was a very personal decision. One that was discovered through much prayer and pondering. In the end, I realized it was not even my decision. It was the Lord's. He wanted me elsewhere (elsewhere being school). And I've listened to the Spirit and done what He has guided me to do.

No there's no set age limit for receiving your endowments. I've spoken with my Bishop about it already and it's simply a choice between you and the Lord when you feel like it's the next step in your life, which I've had a few promptings about it. I'm fairly mature (emotionally and spiritually) for my age (21) and a mission is not for me, nor is marriage anywhere close in my future. But for some reason this step in my life has been at the helm of my gospel studying and what I have been focusing on recently. My worries about not being "ready" is more so about not wanting to make a mistake after I make such a commitment. But I've started to attribute those worries and anxieties (which I deal with a lot) to Satan trying to keep me from making that next step....I'm kind of talking out my own answer to my question, but I still like to hear from those who are endowed and their experience about the temple garments being a protective power from temptations/weaknesses.

This question is mostly for those who are already endowed...I'm at a crossroads between deciding to receive my endowments, or not. I've always had a struggle with physical intimacy (not in ways that have risked my membership or needed disciplinary actions) but enough that I've had times of talking to the bishop and discussing steps to take on this weakness, as well as receiving the full forgiveness needed for those mistakes. I work really hard at not putting myself in those situations where my judgment lacks and I don't listen to the spirit, but of course I'm imperfect and there are times where I still make that mistake. (and I do know that it's a natural feeling to have, just not in the right circumstances). With that little piece of background, I've felt recently that I need to prepare to receive my endowments....but I'm scared to make sure a huge promise to the Lord with such a weakness on my shoulders. I have grown in that weakness and am a completely different person than I was when I first realized that it was my weakness, but I'm fully aware of my ability to mess up again if I put myself in those situations where it can happen. I'm stuck between knowing of that huge covenant I will make and the repercussions that can come if I make that mistake after that promise, or knowing that with that endowment, I can have much more strength and protection because of the physical garments I will be wearing and the understanding I will gain from going through the Temple. I don't know...I feel like at times it will be such a strength for me and will help me conquer that weakness until the time comes where I'm married in the temple and that weakness will no longer be a problem (in the form it is now). Or I'll just make a mistake again and the consequences will be more intense and the guilt will be much more because I've made a very serious covenant to the Lord. I guess the general point of this post is: I'm afraid to make such a covenant too early and make that commitment before I'm ready. But I've also felt like it's something I've needed to do (and here comes another worry.....that I personally have felt like that, but don't know if it's me telling myself that, or the Spirit). Lots of worry/anxiety in this post. It's my life. Thanks for the help.

Oh I could write a whole book on hateful comments from LDS members about married couples and why they don't have children. I'm so sorry you have had to deal with such rude comments from those individuals. Thank goodness the Lord's judgment is the only one who matters. I'm sure there are tons of members who would be rallying right by your side about their infertility problems and the hurt they've felt from other members' curiosity about their personal life. To me it's almost flat out asking about a couple's sexual life. It's absolutely absurd. But I digress... Let us know how everything went if you were able to talk to the Bishop! We're here supporting you whenever you need it.

It's been awhile since I've been in a family ward (I've been attending YSA wards since 2011), so I'm not sure how relevant my words of wisdom are, but coming from both BYU student wards and normal YSA wards in my hometown, many of the things you discussed as issues are things I see on a weekly basis in my wards. The bishop and bishopric are always out shaking hands until about a minute before we start, people are up and about talking to others until a bishopric member gets up at the pulpit to begin the meeting, we start always about 5 minutes late, we occasionally have prelude music (depends on the pianist and their level of comfort with playing), chapel doors are always open until the actual Sacrament is beginning, and of course there are no children/toys in the congregation. For me it's not really distracting or irreverent, but maybe I'm just used to it. Now the level of irreverence discussed by other people on here is atrocious. I don't think it would be a bad idea to have a slight reminder sent out to bishops of family wards to address the congregation about the importance of reverence despite the fact that you have noisy children. But what can you do. I guess the most for you individually would be to be as in tune with the Spirit as you can, and you'll get the most out of every meeting every week, despite the lack of reverence from others.

I will be going into the field of study of forensic psychology. This entails a lot of detailed learning of criminal acts and behavior, as well as victim advocacy. One of the things I have a desire to focus on is victim counseling for those who have been abused, in all shapes and forms. This is something that requires me to step outside of my religion, because depending on the victim, they may not believe in God or want to discuss in it their counseling or grief sessions. What I believe will be difficult for me is reconciling my own understanding of our loving Heavenly Father and the horrible grief and pain these women and men have gone through, that don't have the knowledge of the atonement. It's also hard when I come across the philosophical arguments by others who ask "How could your loving God allow someone to be harmed in such a heinous way?" I have learned from previous experiences that I will never win that argument with those people, so I try to avoid it at all costs, but it's still something that is even hard for me to understand. I fully and completely understand the power of agency, as well as the comforting power of the Holy Ghost. But sometimes there's so much evil that comes from my area of study that it can be hard to balance my understanding of this temporary life and the trials it comes with, and the evil that I study and will be involved in. This is something that is hard for me to discuss with others because I usually get the response of "well you chose this profession. If you didn't want to deal with the evil, you could have chose something else".

Thanks for the replies. I've explained in a very shortened way the Plan of Salvation to him, but I don't think he was very interested. I was talking to him last night about whether or not he thinks what I've talked to him about is true, and he said to me that he doesn't believe anyone can know the truth of anything (pertaining to religion). That people can only hope and have faith. I showed him the verse in Moroni about our ability to have a witness from the Holy Ghost of the truth of the things we are questioning, but he doesn't believe that he can just receive an answer from prayer. He then went on to tell me that he would believe if he could have first hand experiences, like an angel appearing to him or something of that matter. I struggle with explaining the gospel to people. I get so excited when they get interested and as soon as they start to back away I get frustrated and don't understand why they don't believe what I've told them. To me the gospel has always been so black and white. The scriptures tell me to pray about the truthfulness of what I read, so I did. And I received my answer. But he doesn't believe he has that ability, and I can't make him believe anything. He has to search it out for himself. It's very frustrating...

I have a friend who I am trying to teach the gospel (in our normal conversations) and he at least respects what I say and doesn't try to prove me wrong on anything. But when I mentioned the fact that when you die, depending on whether or not you accepted the gospel here in this life, you will either go to Spirit Paradise or Spirit Prison, I think this stuck a little too much for him. I have a feeling that he's stuck on the idea that he can live his life here on Earth how he wants (indulging in whatever Earthly pleasures he desires) and then when he dies he'll accept the gospel when he is in Spirit Prison. I don't know how to explain in a way that he would understand that choosing that "path" is not as beneficial as he thinks. But his mind is so set in an "Earthly" mindset that I don't even think he could comprehend the idea of the type of eternal blessings that come from the covenants you can make in the Temple, or the blessings that come from living a righteous life here on Earth. Is this something that I can help him understand or is it something he just needs to learn on his on? And maybe that means the hard way and he won't learn it until Spirit Prison... Thanks for the help.